AEGiS-14IAC: Toward combating HIV/AIDS amongst children and young people in Tanzania:is ethics a stumbling block?

14th International AIDS Conference


Barcelona, Spain - July 7-12, 2002

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Toward combating HIV/AIDS amongst children and young people in Tanzania:is ethics a stumbling block?

Int Conf AIDS 2002 Jul 7-12; 14:(abstract no. C10723)

Emile EK
University of Dar es Salaam, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

ISSUES: For more than fifteen years there has been a very hot discussion on ethics and HIV/AIDS the most vulnerable being children and young people multi-dimensionally. Traditions, religion, poor economies and political will versus recognition and acceptance. Descriptive Analysis: Tanzanian societies are mostly traditional hence very difficult for change. Religious mongers do oppose sex education and the use of condoms as they instigate promiscuity. Poor economies make people to be submissive to any dictation at sexual approaches, religion and gender relations and freedoms. Politicians are prone to seek tenure of office not to be more modern or post-modern but go back to traditions, and hence no call for sex education and emphasis on ethical hurdles to HIV/AIDS campaign. LESSONS LEARNT: (1) Traditional values should be waved out and those combating HIV/AIDS should be retained. (2) The general political will is hampered by traditional religio-ethics.

CONCLUSION: Ethics in traditional-poor societies is a stumbling block in socialising children and young people to combating HIV/AIDS.

RECOMMENDATIONS: Rules and regulations should prefer life first than archaic ethics. Sexual education and abstinence education should be imparted to students and young people for fighting HIV/AIDS. Local and international organisation should collaborative with people in the locality to manoeuvre in changing stumbling codes of HIV/AIDS.

Keywords: AEGIS, HIV, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Tanzania, HIV Infections, HIV Seropositivity, Sex Education, Condoms, Students, Health Education, Developing Countries, Research, Child, Human, ethics, adverse effects, EducationKWDaegis,hiv,acquiredimmunodeficiencysyndrome,tanzania,hivinfections,hivseropositivity,sexeducation,condoms,students,healtheducation,developingcountries,research,child,human,ethics,adverseeffects,education

020707
C10723

Copyright © 2002 - International AIDS Society (IAS). Reproduction of this abstract (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the IAS.